typically
Americanadverb
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in a way that serves as or conforms to a type.
The study examines the eating patterns of both typically developing children and those who have intellectual or developmental delays.
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commonly or characteristically.
A Florida thunderstorm typically works like this: lightning and thunder, torrential rain, gusty winds, and then it’s all over in about 5 to 10 minutes.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of typically
Explanation
Use the adverb typically when something happens in a general or usual way. The winner of the Miss America pageant, for example, is typically a very tall, slender young woman with long hair. You might say that it typically takes a year to get a driver's license in your state — in other words, that's how long it takes as a general rule or on average. Or you could say that while you don't typically enjoy short stories, you read one recently that you can't get out of your mind. The adjective typical is at the root of typically, from the Late Latin typicus, "of a type," and the Greek typos, "impression."
Vocabulary lists containing typically
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Newlands is not typically a spinner's surface but it turned big from the third day.
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026
But the truth is typically somewhere in between.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 1, 2026
Reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus, aka chickenpox, into herpes zoster, aka shingles, does typically happen in later life.
From Slate ● Nov. 1, 2026
"The way we typically detect retrons inside uninfected cells is by looking for this single-stranded DNA," says Karen Zhang, a PhD student in Shipman's lab and lead author of the study.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 31, 2026
Each worker typically received two outfits a year—cotton for the summer and a mixture of cotton and wool for winter.
From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis
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